Liner type box wrap package



March 7, 1961 R. w. cARLlN Erm.

LINER TYPE Box WRAP PACKAGE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. l0, 1958 X, 5 s N M c Z M j D47/ Vm if Tz f mi 2 i 2. w Q ri A 1. e. A E

ATTORNEY March 7, 1961 R. w. CARLIN ErAL 2,973,893

LINER TYPE Box WRAP PACKAGE Filed Deo. l0, 1958 I 2.a' i 2z 24 E60-15d I I I l 126.14. l 2z i 2f 22 i 24 INVENTORS.

ATTORNEY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Unie-d Sims Patent i@ LINER TYPE BOX WRAP PACKAGE Raymond Walter Carlin and `lames Clair McKinney, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignors to The Procter & Gamble Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of (Ehio Filed Dec. 10, 1958, Ser. No. '779,496

1 Claim. (Cl. 229-40) This invention relates to an improvement in packaging and more particularly to a rigid box-like package structure which is especially useful in packaging irregularly shaped articles, either rigid or non-rigid, such as bars of soap or bags of granules and the like.

Articles having convex surfaces such as oval bars of soap and articles of other unusual configurations are sometimes packaged for commercial distribution in rigid containers composed of an inner cartonboard or cardboard structure which is overwrapped with a foil or4 similar outer wrapper. In some instances, the inner cartonboard or cardboard structure is in the form of a sealend carton. Containers of this type have become known in the art as box wraps. The use of conventional sealend cartons as box wraps has several disadvantages as a single`cartonboard or cardboard blank is used which leads to high packaging costs because the weight of the cartonboard material must be gauged to handle the part of the box wrap under greatest stress. Consequently, excessive cartonboard thickness is used for most box wraps of that kind. Additionally, the blank for a seal-end carton has a comparatively large area per unit packaged and -the blank is cut in such a way as to result in comparatively high loss of material between adjoining blanks. Other types of box Wraps have some or all of these same drawbacks.

Accordingly, it is a principal object of this invention to `eliminate these deficiencies and provide an improved box wrap which simulates an overwrapped carton but which is less expensive to manufacture as it can be made from lighter weight material with a minimum of scrap loss and without sacrificing strength.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a box wrap structure which is rigid and strong and yet is easily opened in order to remove the packaged article.

`Still another object of this invention is the provision of a lbox wrap which is suited for packaging objects of any size or shape within the physical limits of the box Wrap itself.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a box wrap package composed of a plurality of individual parts which can be assembled so that on opening the package to remove its contents the remaining components of the package remain intact to facilitate the disposal of the package.

While the box wrap of this invention is well suited 'for packaging any article Vregardless of shape, it will be Ireferred to herein as applied to bar soap packaging, as .the invention has been found to have particular utility in this field. it is to be understood, however, that this in no way forms a limitation on the scope of the invention.

vThe manner of accomplishing these and other' objects of the invention will be set forth hereinafter or will be apparent to one skilled in the art upon reading this specication. The objects are accomplished by that construction and arrangementof parts which shallnow be de- Patented Mar. 7, 1961 scribed in certain exemplary embodiments. Reference is made to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the inner liner blank; and

Figure 2 is a perspective View of an inner liner when folded into .a frame; and f Figure 3 is a transverse cross-section of the inner line taken along the lines 3-3 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a plan View of one form or outer liner blank; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the inner liner with the outer liner partially wrapped around; and

Figure 6 is an end elevation of the inner liner with the outer liner almost completely wrapped around; and

Figure 7 is a perspective view showing the outer ilexible wrapper being wrapped around the enclosure formed by the inner and outer liners; and

Figure 8 is a perspective view showing the end and side folds of the outer flexible wrapper as they are being tucked into place; and

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the finished package; and i Figure 10 is a perspective view of the package after the tear tape has been pulled showing a bar of soap being removed; and

Figures 11, 12, 13 and 14 are plan views of modified inner liner blanks. Y

Briefly and broadly stated, the box Wrap of this invention comprises an'inner liner having at least four panels including an outer end panel folded into a frame surrounding the bar of soap. In a preferred embodiment, the panels of the inner liner are provided with inwardly folded flanges which give the inner liner a channel-shaped cross-section for the purpose of imparting greater strength and rigidity to it. An outer liner having at least three'panels is wrapped transversely around the frame formed by the inner liner so that the two liners form a box-like structure around the bar of' soap with one face of the structure formed by the outer end panel of the inner liner blank. An outer flexible wrapper is folded and Wrapped around this box-like structure and has its edges folded, tucked and sealed in a conventional manner to complete the package. A tear tape is sealed to the inner surface of the outer flexible wrapper near one edge so that the tear tape surrounds the package near that end of the inner structure through which the soap bar may be dispensed by gravity when the outer wrapper is folded in place.V After pulling the tear tape and removing they severed end of the outer flexible wrapper, the soap is easily removed by tilting the package thus causing the bar to bear against'and pivot outwardly the wall formed by the outer end panel.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to Figs. `1 and 2 there is shown an inner liner blank 18 which can be formed from cartonboard, cardboard or the like material. Horizontal scores 19 and vertical scores 20 divide the inner liner blank into the side panels 21 and Z2, an inner end panel 23, an outer end panel 24 and a locking tab 25. The locking tab 25 extends from the edge of the side panel Z1 and is approximately the same length and width as the outer end panel 24. Notches `26 are cut from the blank, as indicated, to separate the iianges 27 which are hinged to their respective panels at the horizontal scores 19.

The inner liner 18 is folded into a frame structure as shown in Fig. 2 by first folding the flanges 27 into their inwardly protruding position prior to folding the panels 21, 22, 23 and 24 into a rectangular frame surrounding the bar of soap. The anges 27 give the frame a rigid and strong structure due to the channel-shaped crosssection when the flanges are folded inwardly. The flanges may be used to support the article inside the frame,

though this has not been found necessary when used to encase bar soap. Preferably, the locking tab is placed outside the frame structure (see Fig. 3) although it may optionally be placed inside. When placed inside, the locking tab preferably is slightly narrower than the panel 24 so that the tab can pass between the lianges 27. The locking tab serves the function of lining up and holding in place the edge of the outer end panel 24 with the edge of the side panel 21 adjoining the locking tab 25.

An outer liner 29 as shown in Fig. 4 can be formed from cartonboard, cardboard or the like material. it may be of heavier or lighter gauge material than the material used in making the inner liner but this, of course, depends on the requirements of the article being packaged. In the packaging of soap bars an outer liner of lighter gauge material than the inner liner has been found satisfactory. The outer liner 29 is provided with a series of parallel scores 30 which divide the blank into a top panel 31, a bottom panel 32 and side panels 33 and 34.

The inner liner frame is placed on the bottom panel 32 of the outer liner 29 as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The other panels of the outer liner are then wrapped around the inner liner in order to form a rigid six-sided box-like structure in the form of a rectangular parallelepiped which encloses the bar of soap. With this structure, it will be noted that the superposed locking tab 25 and outer' end panel 24 form one of the surfaces of the box wrap and for convenience, this surface will be referred to as located at the discharge end.

An outer flexible wrapper 35 made from foil, cellophane or other suitable material is provided to wrap and form the finished box wrap. The wrapper 35 is usually decorated with an ornamental design and other printed matter including the trademark of the product. A tear tape 36 is applied to the wrapper before it is wrapped around the box-like structure formed by the two liners. The tear tape is placed near one edge of the wrapper 35 so that when the package is completed it is wrapped around in the direction of the outer liner and near that end of the box wrap through which the soap bar may be dispensed by gravity, or, in other words, it is located parallel to and near that edge of the outer liner adjoining the surface formed by the locking tab 25 and the outer end panel 24. Fig. 7 shows the package partially wrapped with the outer wrapper 35 and Fig. 8 shows the end folds 37 and side folds 38 made on one end of the outer wrapper in the process of making the finished package 39 as shown in Figure 9. This container structure results in a box wrap having rigid and strong walls with the use of a minimum of materials, but it also allows the bar of soap to be removed simply and easily. As shown in Fig. 10, the tear tape 36 is first pulled to sever the outer wraper material. The outer wrapper adjacent the discharge end of the box wrap is then peeled off. This allows the bar of soap {it} `to be removed by merely tilting the box wrap; the weight of the bar of soap causes the locking tab 25 and the outer end panel 24 to swing outwardly and this permits the bar 4t) to slide out.

The structure just described is particularly advantageous in that it may be readily opened by means of the tear tape so that the soap bar may be dispensed by gravity. The package has still another advantage. When the tear tape is pulled to sever the end of the outer wrapper it may be left attached to the other part of the wrapper in a small area, and still the soap may be dispensed as described. The frictional engagement of the panels 21, 22 and the flanges 2'7 of the inner liner against the inner surfaces of the outer liner prevents the inner and outer liner from becoming dislodged with respect to each other when dispensing the soap bar. The outer liner 29 can be adhesively secured to the outer wrapper 35 and this will prevent the outer liner from sliding out of the open tube formed by the outer wrapper when the end of the outer wrapper is severed and removed. Thus, on opening the package to dispense the bar of soap, all of the components which make up the package can be i maintained intact thus greatly simplifying the disposal of the entire wrapper.

Figs. 11 and 12 show modified versions of the inner liner which can be satisfactorily employed without departing from the spirit of the invention. In Fig. 11 the locking tab 25 has been eliminated while in Fig. l2 the locking tab is relatively short so that it is not superposed over the full length of the outer end panel when the inner liner is folded into a frame. When using the embodiment of Fig. 12 it is usually preferable to have the locking tab outside the end panel in order to prevent the two side panels from becoming misaligned. Figs. 13 and 14 show other modiiied forms of inner liner blanks that can be used, without departing from the invention, if the rigidity of the channel frame is not required in the overall structure. Fig. 13 shows a tive-sided panel with a locking tab in which the flanges are eliminated so that the assembled liner does not have a channel-shaped crosssection. Fig. 14 shows a four paneled inner similar to Fig. ll except that it has no flanges. As a still further modification, the liners of Figs. 13 and 14 can be provided with flanges on just one end so that the folded liner fratrie has L-shaped walls when viewed in cross-section.

Similarly, the outer liner 29 of Fig. 4 can be modified a number of ways depending upon the needs and necessities of the article being packaged. In some cases the side panel 34 can be eliminated leaving only the top panel 31, the bottom panel 32 and the side panel 33. ln other cases, a third side panel can extend from the edge of the top panel 31 and this extra side panel would be superposed over the side panel 34 when the package is assembled. In still another modification, the width of the side panel 3d can be halved and another half side panel can extend from the edge of the top panel 31.

The liner type box wrap of this invention is not limited to packages in the form of a rectangular parallelepiped. For example, a package can be made in the form of a right hexagonal prism of a right octagonal prism. In such a case the inner liner is made with six or eight rectangular panels and is formed into a hexagonal or octagonal frame. The outer liner is formed with the two panels forming the top and bottom surfaces in the shape of a hexagon or Octagon. Packages in the form of other kinds of right prism can also be made.

While particular embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and it is intended to cover in the appended claim all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this invention.

What is claimed as new is:

A box wrap for packaging articles of irregular shape comprising an inner liner blank cut and scored to form two side panels with a first end panel interposed and having a second end panel at one end and a locking tab at the other, flanges extending from the upper and lower edges of said panels, said blank being folded into a rectangular frame surrounding an article with the locking tab and the outer end panel superposed over one end of the article, the fianges extending from said panels being infolded so that the walls of the frame are channel-shaped in cross-section, an outer liner blank cut and scored to form top and bottom panels with a side panel interposed and having a second side panel at one end of the blank, said outer liner being folded around the frame formed by the inner liner to cover the openings in said frame and thereby form a rectangular box structure surrounding and enclosing the article, the said superposed locking tab and outer end panel of said inner blank being free from attachment to each other and defining a discharge end for said box structure, a flexible outer wrapper having a tear tape sealed thereto near one edge of said wrapper in parallel relation to the said edge, said outer wrapper being folded around the top, bottom and side panels of 5 said rectangular box structure formed by the inner and outer liner with its ends infolded and sealed over the ends of the box structure to form a nished box wrap in which the tear tape surrounds the top, bottom and side walls of the box structure near and in parallel relation to the said discharge end thereof, whereby the article can be removed by severing the outer wrapper with the tear tape and thereafter tilting the box wrap so that the article therein moves the locking tab and outer end panel of the inner liner outwardly to allow its removal from the box wrap.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Patent No, 2,973,893 March 7, 1961 Raymond Wallisery Carlin et, ela

error appears in the above numbered pat- It is hereby oertifiedthat t the said Letters Patent should reed as en'b requiring correction and tha corrected below.

Signed and sealed this 8th day of Augu (SEA L) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER Attesting Officer DAVID L. LADD Commissioner of Patents 

